Rejector-type fuse clip

ABSTRACT

The invention relates to a rejection-type fuse clip having rejection means permitting insertion of only fuses with appropriately slotted blade terminals. An interference pin mounted between opposed, resilient clamping arms of unequal length prevents the insertion of an unslotted blade terminal. The pin is located adjacent the termination of the shorter clamping arm to insure complete rejection of an unslotted blade terminal.

United States Patent [191 Tillson 1 Dec. 311, 1974 REJECTOR-TYPE FUSE CLIP [75] Inventor: Robert S. Tillson, Terryville, Conn.

[73] Assignee: General Electric Company, New

York, NY.

22 Filed: Jan. 16,1974

21 App1.No.:433,828

[52] US. Cl 339/258 F, 337/225 [51] llnt. C1...H01h 85/24, HOlr 13/12, l-lOlr 13/64 [58] Field of Search 339/64 R, 17, 65, 184 R,

339/184 N, 256 SP, 258 F, 25 LF, 258 S, 26 LF, 270 F, 259 F; 337/225, 226

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,943,295 6/1960 Stewart 339/258 F 3,198,913 8/1965 Stanback 337/225 X FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLlCATlONS 809,214 7/1951 Germany 339/258 F Primary Examiner.loseph H. McGlynn Assistant Examiner-E. F. Desmond Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Robert A. Cahill; Philip L. Schlamp; Frank L. Neuhauser [5 7 ABSTRACT The invention relates to a rejection-type fuse clip having rejection means permitting insertion of only fuses with appropriately slotted blade terminals. An interference pin mounted between opposed, resilient clamping arms of unequal length prevents the insertion of an unslotted blade terminal. The pin is located adjacent the termination of the shorter clamping arm to insure complete rejection of an unslotted blade terminal.

5 Claims, 6 Drawing Figures BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates generally to a fuse clip structure for receiving an end terminal of a fuse cartridge which is specifically designed to be received by the fuse clip. More specifically, the present invention relates to a fuse clip for receivably engaging a bladed end terminal which is specifically designed for the fuse clip and whereby bladed end terminals not so designed are completely rejected.

Presently available rejection-type fuse holders for bladed end terminals of fuses include rejection means external to the blade itself as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 2,55 8,581, issued to A. H. Powell, et al., and assigned to the assignee of the present invention. In the Powell, et al. patent cooperating interference projections on both the fuse body and fuse clip are provided to prevent full insertion of both bladed end terminals of an incorrect fuse in both respective fuse clips. Another prior art type of rejection fuse holder includes a pair of spaced, parallel blades of equal length for the resilient reception of a bladed end terminal of a fuse cartridge. An interference or rejection means is disposed on one of the spaced parallel blades so that a bladed end terminal not including a corresponding slot will not pass over the interference means and be fully received by the spaced blades of the fuse clip.

In both of the prior art designs, a potential safety hazard exists with the respective styles of such fuse hold ers. Such a safety hazard results from the fact that in prior art structures, a bladed end terminal which is not designed for the particular rejection fuse clip could still in fact be partially inserted with the fuse blade electrically engaged and physically retained. Unless the installer is observant and knowledgeable, he would not be aware that the fuse end terminal blade is not and cannot be fully inserted, and therefore become aware that the wrong fuse was being inserted into the fuse holder.

Other types of prior art rejection fuse clips suffer from the drawback that the rejection means can be readily defeated by forcible insertion of the fuse termi nals.

Accordingly, one object of the present invention is to provide a rejection-type fuse clip for fuses with bladed end terminals wherein the rejection means prevents both forcible insertion and retention of an improperly keyed bladed end terminal. Other objects of the present invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Briefly stated, the present invention provides a fuse clip for reception of an appropriately formed end terminal of a fuse cartridge. The fuse clip, at one or both ends of the fuse holder, includes a pair of spaced substantially parallel flexible arms extending from a base member in cantilevered fashion. Each cantilevered arm is bent outwardly at its free end to guide a bladed end terminal of a fuse being inserted therebetween. One of the clamping arms is shorter than the other, while an interference means mounted by one of the clamping arms substantially spans the space therebetween when they are in an unflexed disposition. With the interference means disposed at a distance from the base memher substantially equal to the length of the shorter clamping arm, there can be no clamping engagement and thus retention of a bladed end terminal between the clamping arms which is not keyed to physically avoid the interference means.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The subject matter which is regarded as the invention is particularly pointed out and distinctly claimed in the concluding portion of the specification. The invention,

however, both as to organization and the method of practice, together with further objects and advantages thereof, may best be understood by reference to the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing in which:

FIG. I is an end view of the fuse clip of the present invention showing an improper, bladed end terminal of a fuse.

FIG. 1a is a side view of the fuse clip of FIG. 1.

FIG. 2 is an end elevation of fuse clip of this invention with an appropriately slotted end terminal of a bladed fuse with the end terminal fully engaged within the fuse clip.

FIG. 2a is a side view of the fuse clip of FIG. 2.

FIG. 3 shows a top view of an alternative form of the fuse clip which includes two similar short clamping arms for engagement with the other side of the fuse end terminal.

FIG. 3a shows a side view of the fuse clip of FIG. 3.

Referring to FIGS. ll, 1a, 2 and 2a of the drawings, a fuse clip III is generally shown as including a base member 12 mounting opposed clamping arms 14!- and 16 which extend upwardly from the base member 12 in cantilevered fashion. The clamping arms 14 and I6 are mounted in spaced, parallel relationship to define a receiving slot 1%. An interference means 20 is mounted by clamping arm 114 and substantially spans the receiving slot I8. Interference means 20 may take a variety of forms, such as a pin riveted to arm M or a tab struck therefrom. While shown carried by the longer arm M it will be appreciated that the interference means may be carried by the shorter arm 16, jointly by both clamping arms, or mounted independently of the clamping arms. The interference means 20 is carried by clamping arm 14 at a point just below the termination of shorter clamping arm 16. With the free end of the clamping arms l4 and 16 respectively being flared outwardly at 22 and 24, the lower edges of exemplary bladed end terminals 26 or 260 of respective fuse cartridges 28 or 2% can be easily positioned for potential insertion into receiving slot 18 between the clamping arms.

FIGS. 3.and 3a of the drawings depict an alternative embodiment of the present invention. As shown therein, a base member 12 serves as a mounting means for a longer clamping arm 114 while two cantilevered elements 16a extending from the base member 12 form the shorter clamping arm corresponding to that element shown as In in FIGS. 1, la, 2 and 20. With the shorter clamping arm in FIGS. 3 and 3a formed from the multiple elements 16a, additional lateral support can be provided to an appropriately configured or keyed bladed end terminal 26a after insertion into the receiving slot defined by the laterally spaced disposition of the long and short clamping arms. This construction permits the forming of the clamping arms from a single piece of sheet stock.

The mode of operation and principal advantage of the present invention can be understood from a comparison of FIGS. 1, 1a, 2 and 2a of the drawings. In FIG. 1, the interference means 20 extends substantially across receiving slot 18. The fuse clip of the present invention is formed specifically for receiving bladed end terminals which include a slotted cutout indicated as 30 in FIG. 2a. When an unslotted blade such as 26 shown in FIG. 1 is presented for insertion in fuse clip 10, the lower edge thereof necessarily abuts the interference means 20. In addition, with the upper surface of the interference means 20 located substantially at the height where the flaring of the free end 24 of the shorter clamping arm 16 begins, it is impossible for the unslotted blade 26 to be sufficiently inserted so as to be engaged and held between the clamping arms. This result is substantially different from prior art designs in which it is possible to partially insert an unslotted bladed end terminal between the clamping arms and thus inadvertently insert an insufficiently rated fuse into the circuit to be protected.

As can be understood by a consideration of FIG. 2, a bladed end terminal 26a of a fuse cartridge 28a provided with an appropriate slot 30 enables the end terminal 26a to be fully accepted in the receiving slot between clamping arms 14 and 16. It is seen, however, that the fuse clip of the present invention completely rejects the partial insertion and retention of improperly keyed and thus insufficiently rated fuses.

The alternative embodiment of the invention shown in FIGS. 3 and 3a operates in the same manner as the embodiment shown in FIGS. 2 and 2a. The difference in the two embodiments resides only in the multiple separated elements 160 as compared to the unitary clamping arm 16.

While there has been described herein what is considered to be the preferred embodiment of the invention, other modifications will occur to those skilled in the art and it is desired to cover in the appended claims all such modifications as fall within the true spirit and scope of the invention.

What is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent of the United States is:

l. A fuse clip for a fuse cartridge with an end terminal including a recess, said fuse clip comprising:

clamping means comprising first and second clamping arms extending in a spaced, substantially parallel relationship to define therebetween a receiving slot for acceptance of the cartridge fuse end terminal,

interference means disposed in said receiving slot for acceptance of the recess of the cartridge fuse end terminal upon its insertion in said receiving slot, and

said first clamping arm being shorter than said sec ond clamping arm, and said interference means being located adjacent the termination of said first clamping arm.

2. The fuse clip according to claim 1, wherein said interference means is carried by one of said first and second clamping arms.

3. The fuse clip according to claim 2, wherein said interference means is carried by said second clamping arm.

4. The fuse clip according to claim 1, wherein said first clamping arm is formed of aligned, multiple elements.

5. The fuse clip according to claim 1, wherein said first clamping arm is formed having a laterally flared portion to in part define an entrance to said receiving slot, said interference means having an interference surface located at said entrance. 

1. A fuse clip for a fuse cartridge with an end terminal including a recess, said fuse clip comprising: clamping means comprising first and second clamping arms extending in a spaced, substantially parallel relationship to define therebetween a receiving slot for acceptance of the cartridge fuse end terminal, interference means disposed in said receiving slot for acceptance of the recess of the cartridge fuse end terminal upon its insertion in said receiving slot, and said first clamping arm being shorter than said second clamping arm, and said interference means being located adjacent the termination of said first clamping arm.
 2. The fuse clip according to claim 1, wherein said interference means is carried by one of said first and second clamping arms.
 3. The fuse clip according to claim 2, wherein said interference means is carried by said second clamping arm.
 4. The fuse clip according to claim 1, wherein said first clamping arm is formed of aligned, multiple elements.
 5. The fuse clip according to claim 1, wherein said first clamping arm is formed having a laterally flared portion to in part define an entrance to said receiving slot, said interference means having an interference surface located at said entrance. 